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US 10,374,155 B2Granted
Electrically actuated switch
AssigneeHewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
InventorR. Stanley Williams
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electrically actuated switch comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, and an active region disposed therebetween. The active region comprises at least one primary active region comprising at least one material that can be doped or undoped to change its electrical conductivity, and a secondary active region comprising at least one material for providing a source/sink of ionic species that act as dopants for the primary active region(s). Methods of operating the switch are also provided.
Claims16
A method comprising:
- providing an electrically actuated switch that can be switched between a higher conductivity state (ON) and a lower conductivity state (OFF), the switch comprising
- a first electrode,
- a second electrode;
- and
- an active region disposed therebetween, the active region comprising
- a primary active region comprising at least one material for transporting and hosting ions that act as dopants to control the flow of electrons through the switch, and
- a secondary active region comprising at least one material for providing a source/sink of ionic dopants for the primary active region;
- and
- inverting an ON/OFF polarity of the switch from a first polarity to a second polarity by applying a positive bias to the second electrode for a long enough time to cause the ON/OFF polarity of the switch to change to the second polarity,
- the first polarity comprising a state in which applying a positive bias to the second electrode turns the switch ON and applying a negative bias to the second electrode turns the switch OFF,
- the second polarity comprising a state in which applying a negative bias to the second electrode turns the switch ON and applying a positive bias to the second electrode turns the switch OFF.
8 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing an electrically actuated switch that can be switched between a higher conductivity state (ON) and a lower conductivity state (OFF), the switch comprising
- a first electrode,
- a second electrode;
- and
- an active region disposed therebetween, the active region comprising
- a first primary active region and a second primary active region, each comprising at least one material for transporting and hosting ions that act as dopants to control the flow of electrons through the switch, and
- a secondary active region disposed between the first and second primary active regions and comprising at least one material for providing a source/sink of ionic dopants for the first and second primary active regions;
- and
- inverting an ON/OFF polarity of the switch by:
- while the ON/OFF polarity of the switch is a first polarity, in which applying a positive bias to the second electrode turns the switch ON and applying a negative bias to the second electrode turns the switch OFF, applying a positive bias to the second electrode for a long enough time to cause the ON/OFF polarity of the switch to change to a second polarity, in which applying a negative bias to the second electrode turns the switch ON and applying a positive bias to the second electrode turns the switch OFF;
- and
- while the ON/OFF polarity of the switch is the second polarity, applying a negative bias to the second electrode for a long enough time to cause the ON/OFF polarity of the switch to change to the first polarity.
9 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing an electrically actuated switch that can be switched between a higher conductivity state (ON) and a lower conductivity state (OFF), the switch comprising
- a first electrode,
- a second electrode;
- and
- an active region disposed therebetween, the active region comprising
- a first primary active region and a second primary active region, each comprising at least one material for transporting and hosting ions that act as dopants to control the flow of electrons through the switch, and
- a secondary active region disposed between the first and second primary active regions and comprising at least one material for providing a source/sink of ionic dopants for the first and second primary active regions;
- and
- inverting an ON/OFF polarity of the switch by:
- in a first state in which applying a positive bias to the second electrode turns ON the switch and applying a negative bias to the second electrode turns OFF the switch, applying a positive bias to the second electrode for a long enough time to cause the switch to change to a second state in which applying a positive bias to the first electrode turns ON the switch and applying a positive bias to the first electrode turns the switch OFF;
- and
- in the second state, applying a negative bias to the second electrode for a long enough time to cause the switch to change to the first state.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.